January is one of the cooler months of the year in Santa Ana, with average highs near 17.2°C and lows around 12.4°C (mean 14.8°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 70 mm of rainfall and 69% relative humidity across the period.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Santa Ana. Across 45 years of records, the warmest January in Santa Ana was 2003 — when the month averaged 17.4°C — while the coldest was 1989 at 12.8°C. Typical January days reach 17.2°C with nights near 12.4°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
January is a relatively wet time of year in Santa Ana, averaging 70 mm of rainfall. The wettest January on record was 1995 with 339 mm, while the driest was 2003 at 1 mm.
Relative humidity in Santa Ana during January averages 69%. The most humid January was 1995 at 82%, and the least humid was 1994 at 60%.
January receives about 3.2 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Santa Ana. The sunniest January was 2006 at 3.6 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 1993 and 1995 at 2.6.
Average wind speed in Santa Ana during January is 2.9 m/s. The windiest January was 1982 at 3.9 m/s, while the calmest was 2015 at 1.8 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 14.3°C | 14.5°C | 14.8°C | 15.5°C | 15.0°C | +0.7°C |
| Avg High | 17.0°C | 16.9°C | 17.1°C | 17.7°C | 17.1°C | +0.1°C |
| Avg Low | 11.5°C | 12.2°C | 12.4°C | 13.2°C | 12.9°C | +1.4°C |
| Avg Rain | 49 mm | 107 mm | 57 mm | 80 mm | 47 mm | -2 mm |
January temperatures in Santa Ana have risen by about 0.5°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
January has ranged from a record low of 6°C (1987) to a record high of 26.7°C (2003).
Rainfall in January is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 70 mm, with a wettest year of 339 mm.
Daytime highs and overnight lows have shifted differently — highs rose about 0.1°C per decade while lows rose 0.4°C per decade, narrowing the gap between day and night.
A quieter season to visit Santa Ana
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of August and September tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Santa Ana. That said, January — with days averaging 17.2°C and nights around 12.4°C (mean 14.8°C) and moderate rainfall (70 mm) — can still be rewarding for travellers who don't mind the cooler conditions, and often means fewer crowds.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17.3°C | 14.9°C | 12.5°C | 22.7°C | 10.3°C | 16 mm | 65% | 2.4 m/s | 3.5 |
| 2024 | 17.0°C | 15.2°C | 13.3°C | 21.8°C | 9.8°C | 44 mm | 76% | 2.8 m/s | 3.2 |
| 2023 | 15.5°C | 13.7°C | 12.0°C | 18.3°C | 9.3°C | 164 mm | 77% | 3.5 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2022 | 17.7°C | 15.5°C | 13.2°C | 21.7°C | 10.1°C | 2 mm | 72% | 2.1 m/s | 3.3 |
| 2021 | 17.9°C | 15.4°C | 12.9°C | 26.5°C | 8.8°C | 49 mm | 67% | 2.8 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2020 | 17.1°C | 15.1°C | 13.2°C | 23.1°C | 11.1°C | 8 mm | 76% | 2.3 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2019 | 16.9°C | 15.1°C | 13.3°C | 21.6°C | 9.6°C | 183 mm | 75% | 2.9 m/s | 3.1 |
| 2018 | 19.4°C | 17.1°C | 14.7°C | 25.9°C | 10.7°C | 77 mm | 67% | 2.4 m/s | 3.3 |
| 2017 | 15.7°C | 14.0°C | 12.2°C | 20.8°C | 9.6°C | 189 mm | 76% | 3.2 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2016 | 16.7°C | 14.9°C | 13.1°C | 19.9°C | 11.2°C | 94 mm | 75% | 3 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2015 | 19.0°C | 16.8°C | 14.7°C | 24.1°C | 10.3°C | 39 mm | 68% | 1.8 m/s | 3.2 |
| 2014 | 19.5°C | 17.1°C | 14.6°C | 26.4°C | 12.2°C | 1 mm | 63% | 1.9 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2013 | 16.5°C | 13.9°C | 11.4°C | 21.6°C | 7.2°C | 35 mm | 61% | 2.9 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2012 | 18.2°C | 15.6°C | 13.0°C | 24.4°C | 9.1°C | 23 mm | 63% | 2.2 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2011 | 17.3°C | 14.7°C | 12.1°C | 22.6°C | 8.3°C | 19 mm | 68% | 2.3 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2010 | 17.5°C | 15.3°C | 13.1°C | 21.7°C | 10.2°C | 140 mm | 71% | 2.8 m/s | 3 |
| 2009 | 18.6°C | 15.8°C | 13.0°C | 24.5°C | 8.6°C | 6 mm | 62% | 2.4 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2008 | 15.5°C | 13.4°C | 11.3°C | 20.9°C | 9.4°C | 157 mm | 73% | 3.6 m/s | 3 |
| 2007 | 16.2°C | 13.7°C | 11.2°C | 25.5°C | 7.1°C | 20 mm | 61% | 3 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2006 | 17.4°C | 14.8°C | 12.2°C | 25.4°C | 9.1°C | 30 mm | 67% | 3.1 m/s | 3.6 |
| 2005 | 16.8°C | 14.9°C | 13.0°C | 22.9°C | 9.7°C | 227 mm | 76% | 3.2 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2004 | 16.8°C | 14.7°C | 12.6°C | 21.8°C | 10.0°C | 10 mm | 68% | 2.5 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2003 🔥 | 20.1°C | 17.4°C | 14.7°C | 26.7°C | 10.2°C | 1 mm | 65% | 2.3 m/s | 3.4 |
| 2002 | 16.4°C | 14.1°C | 11.8°C | 22.5°C | 6.2°C | 11 mm | 65% | 2.6 m/s | 3.3 |
| 2001 | 15.9°C | 13.8°C | 11.6°C | 23.6°C | 8.8°C | 88 mm | 68% | 2.8 m/s | 3.1 |
| 2000 | 17.2°C | 15.0°C | 12.8°C | 21.3°C | 10.1°C | 21 mm | 74% | 2.6 m/s | 3.1 |
| 1999 | 16.9°C | 14.6°C | 12.2°C | 22.2°C | 9.2°C | 34 mm | 70% | 2.6 m/s | 3.2 |
| 1998 | 17.1°C | 15.4°C | 13.7°C | 19.6°C | 9.6°C | 56 mm | 73% | 2.8 m/s | 3 |
| 1997 | 16.2°C | 14.1°C | 12.1°C | 21.3°C | 8.7°C | 134 mm | 79% | 3.3 m/s | 2.8 |
| 1996 | 17.2°C | 14.9°C | 12.5°C | 22.5°C | 8.4°C | 61 mm | 70% | 3 m/s | 3.1 |
| 1995 🌧️ | 15.3°C | 13.7°C | 12.1°C | 20.1°C | 9.0°C | 339 mm | 82% | 3.7 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1994 | 18.3°C | 15.5°C | 12.6°C | 22.9°C | 9.7°C | 15 mm | 60% | 2.7 m/s | 3.5 |
| 1993 | 15.7°C | 13.7°C | 11.7°C | 20.6°C | 7.7°C | 284 mm | 78% | 3.8 m/s | 2.6 |
| 1992 | 17.7°C | 14.6°C | 11.6°C | 23.3°C | 8.8°C | 55 mm | 64% | 3.2 m/s | 3.3 |
| 1991 | 16.8°C | 14.3°C | 11.8°C | 22.4°C | 9.9°C | 37 mm | 67% | 2.7 m/s | 3.3 |
| 1990 | 17.4°C | 14.6°C | 11.8°C | 22.1°C | 9.1°C | 53 mm | 64% | 3.3 m/s | 3.4 |
| 1989 ❄️ | 15.9°C | 12.8°C | 9.6°C | 20.7°C | 7.0°C | 14 mm | 62% | 3.4 m/s | 3.3 |
| 1988 | 16.4°C | 13.7°C | 11.0°C | 20.8°C | 6.3°C | 46 mm | 67% | 3.4 m/s | 3 |
| 1987 | 16.7°C | 13.8°C | 11.0°C | 21.3°C | 6.0°C | 51 mm | 62% | 3.6 m/s | 3.2 |
| 1986 | 18.9°C | 16.2°C | 13.6°C | 23.1°C | 11.4°C | 58 mm | 70% | 2.6 m/s | 3 |
| 1985 | 15.7°C | 13.0°C | 10.2°C | 19.1°C | 6.8°C | 21 mm | 68% | 3 m/s | 3.2 |
| 1984 | 18.2°C | 15.3°C | 12.3°C | 22.6°C | 10.0°C | 3 mm | 63% | 3.4 m/s | 3.2 |
| 1983 | 17.9°C | 15.3°C | 12.7°C | 22.9°C | 9.1°C | 110 mm | 66% | 3.4 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 15.7°C | 13.0°C | 10.3°C | 20.6°C | 6.3°C | 87 mm | 65% | 3.9 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 17.8°C | 15.4°C | 13.0°C | 22.5°C | 7.4°C | 50 mm | 67% | 2.9 m/s | — |
Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in January is around 17.2°C with lows near 12.4°C (mean 14.8°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
January averages 70 mm of rainfall in Santa Ana, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 339 mm in 1995.
The hottest January reached 26.7°C in 2003. The coldest dipped to 6°C in 1987.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have risen by about 0.5°C. Daytime highs moved from 17.1°C to 17.1°C and overnight lows from 11.7°C to 12.8°C over the same span.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Santa Ana and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 17.2°C daytime highs and 12.4°C at night.
Not quite — January is the 2nd coolest month in Santa Ana, averaging 14.8°C.
For January in Santa Ana, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 17.2°C and lows of 12.4°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in January averages 69% — moderately humid.
Average wind speed in January is 2.9 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 3.9 m/s (1982).
The wettest January on record was 1995 with 339 mm. On average, January sees 70 mm.
All figures are derived from NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), based on MERRA-2 satellite reanalysis, covering 1981–2025.
Explore how the weather in Santa Ana behaves each January, based on 45 years of NASA POWER climate data from 1981 to 2025. This page breaks down average temperatures, rainfall, humidity, wind and solar radiation for January specifically, along with year-by-year records and how the month has changed over the decades.
